The Herbalist food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Maidstone
The Herbalist holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 23 May 2025, 13 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: 22-23 High Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1JF
How it compares in Maidstone
In Maidstone, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so The Herbalist sits behind roughly 1,301 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,136 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 165 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 61 | 4% | ← The Herbalist | |
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 65 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At The Herbalist none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Herbalist, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Boys Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2024 |
| Buenos Aires Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 96 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2024 |
| Ballin Maidstone Pub/bar/nightclub | 98 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 November 2025 |
| 7 Miles Korean And Chinese Cuisine Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| Cafe Beck Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 126 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 September 2025 |
| Ashes Sports Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 145 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2023 |
| Akins Food Retailers - other | 148 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2026 |
| Cafe W Maidstone Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 222 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 March 2011 |
Questions about The Herbalist
What is The Herbalist's food hygiene rating?
The Herbalist has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Maidstone Council on 23 May 2025.
Is The Herbalist safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Herbalist last inspected?
The Herbalist was last inspected on 23 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maidstone Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Herbalist?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Herbalist compare to other places in Maidstone?
82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, while The Herbalist holds a 3. 61 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Maidstone Council inspects The Herbalist and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch The Herbalist and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Maidstone inspects and rates 1,452 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maidstone →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →